The Brutal Price of Justice; A Judge Finds Her Husband and Mother Murdered. Was It a Random Crime, or White Supremacists out for Revenge?

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Byline: Dirk Johnson (With Andrew Murr, Hilary Shenfeld and Daniel I. Dorfman)

Joan Lefkow could have taken the easy way out. In 2003, the Chicago federal judge was presiding over a case involving white supremacist Matthew Hale, leader of the World Church of the Creator. A religious group in Oregon with the same name was challenging Hale's right to use it. During the trial, a shocking twist: police charged Hale with trying to have Judge Lefkow killed. She could have stepped down from the case. Instead, she stood firm, citing her duty to the justice system. "A party should not be allowed to intimidate a judge off a case," she said.

Police now are trying to determine …